When so much is already accomplished, only a run to the very top will satisfy.
Such is the state of the Solvay softball team, two-time reigning Section III Class B champions who made it all the way to extra innings the state title game in 2014 before a 1-0 defeat to Eden.
Coming so close to unprecedented history has left the large cast of returning Bearcats, including Nicole Antonacci, Jackie Gardner and Chelsie Delperuto, bent on taking that last step in 2015, and it didn’t let a March without much outside practice bother them.
For when the season started Monday on the artificial surface at Onondaga Community College, Solvay promptly greeted Marcellus with an eight-run first inning, the foundation for an eventual 10-2 victory over the Mustangs.
Laura Finn, debuting as the Marcellus pitcher, quickly found herself in trouble, walking Antonacci to start the bottom of the first and seeing her score on Delperuto’s RBI single.
More hits followed, adding three runs to the total, and when Antonacci returned to the plate with two on and two out, she sent a sinking line drive that got to the wall in right field, allowing Antonacci to race all the way home with a three-run, inside-the-park home run.
Given that 8-0 cushion, Gardner didn’t have much problem maintaining the lead, only struggling in the fourth, when Marcellus got both of its runs, the key blow McKenna Donegan’s RBI triple that scored Rylie Spicer.
But Solvay tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to reach double digits, and Lauren Nichols, pitching the final two innings of relief, struck out the side in both frames, this after Gardner earned 7 K’s in five innings of work, limiting Marcellus to three hits.
West Genesee also opened its season on Monday, going to Jamesville-DeWitt and, much like Solvay, used all kinds of early production to push past the Red Rams 11-6.
A four-run first inning was followed by five runs in the top of the second that made it 9-0, the Wildcats taking advantage of all kinds of defensive mistakes as J-D eventually piled up 11 errors. Single runs were added in the fifth and seventh inning to cushion against a Red Rams rally.
Elle Lazore and Amanda Prell each had two hits, with Mya Case and Grace Schnorr earning one RBi apiece. Allie Nave pitched five innings and got the win, striking out six before Talore Desantis worked the last two innings in relief.
That success didn’t carry over into Tuesday’s game against powerful Cicero-North Syracuse, who beat the Wildcats 14-5, in large part due to WG’s defensive struggles.
Despite a 2-1 lead through two innings, the Wildcats could not hold on as the Northstars scored three times in the fourth inning and broke it open with 10 runs in the top of the fifth.
All told, WG committed nine errors behind Nave and Desantis, who combined to allow 12 hits. Both of Marisa Joyce’s hits were doubles as Prell also got a pair of hits. Victoria Dunn paced C-NS with three hits as Julianna Vassallo scored three runs.
It turned around again on Saturday, with WG sweeping a doubleheader from Irondequoit (Section V) as it won the opening game 11-5 and the second game 6-1.
In the opener, the Wildcats trailed, 5-1, but rallied with six runs in the bottom of the fourth and scored twice in each of the next two innings. Joyce, Schnorr and Shannon Churchill each notched three hits, with Joyce earning four RBIs as Nave, Lazore and Prell drove in two runs apiece.
Desantis starred in the second game, holding Irondequoit to two hits and striking out five in a complete-game effort. Again, the fourth inning proved crucial as WG broke a 1-1 tie with a trio of runs, with Schnorr managing three RBIs and Joyce two RBIs.
Jordan-Elbridge’s season started in a rough manner, the Eagles playing Union Springs last Tuesday afternoon and taking a 25-0 defeat, and Bishop Ludden lost, 22-12, to CBA.
In the latter of the two games, the Gaelic Knights only gave up nine hits, but hurt itself by issuing 17 walks, six of them to Sydney Wind, who scored twice. Ally Weigand and Aubrie Murray still managed three RBIs apiece as Rachel Martens got two hits and drove in a run.
